Our thanks to Sail Indonesia for helping to clarify the current Indonesian regulations.

Following 5 years of lobbying by the private sector, led by IYS, to get the unpopular PIB Customs Bond changed, the Indonesian President signed the new Maritime Tourism law on October 31st, 2011.

The Customs Bond has now been eliminated by the Indonesian Customs Department and replaced with a new and more amicable system easing the regulations regarding foreign yacht visits.

The new regulations, which came into effect from December 2011, mean that a PIB (Temporary Import Documentation) must still be completed at the first port of call, however, without the requirement for any monetary bond, only a guarantee letter from any of the following is required:-

• a. Government Officials of the Central Government of the level Echelon I or equivalent.

– b. Government Officials of a Local Government Office of the level Echelon II or equivalent which acts as an organizer of the foreign visit tour boat (yacht) in their region.

– c. Organizers tourist ship visits (yacht) foreign.

– d. General agent.

It is, therefore, our understanding of these new regulations, that any visiting yacht must ask an Approved Indonesian Body (as listed (a)-(d) above) to provide the Jaminan Tertulis (Written Guarantee) and arrange the PIB documentation.

After the PIB has been processed, the vessel is cleared to cruise any destinations within Indonesia as listed on their CAIT and will be fully covered by this initial paperwork process. The PIB is extendable, along with the CAIT in multiples of 3 months up to a total of 3 years unbroken. It is also proposed that in the future there will be changes to the CAIT application procedure to make it easier and faster.

At the final port of call, the boat must be “exported” and a PEB completed. This has been simplified into a relatively easy piece of paperwork.

This information above is based on the official Government Regulations and is the best information we have at this time and, as explained above, it may not be followed by all Customs Officials in all ports. There may sometimes be local variations and implementation of these regulations in outlying ports.

For an English Translation of the new maritime law by Indo Yacht Support see here [Broken Link]